"No! No! I can't die! You can't kill me!" Joy Dalton scrambled in a panic to grab the man's arm, but he kicked her to the ground without a shred of mercy. The man's cold eyes swept over everyone before he finally addressed his henchmen. "Dean and the other three, too. Get rid of them all."
Anyone who outlived their usefulness met the same fate.
The two henchmen hesitated when they heard the man order them to get rid of Dean and the others as well, but they still nodded in assent.
The two henchmen drew their pistols. One closed in on Timothy Sterling, the other on Joy Dalton.
Facing death from this close for the first time, Timothy Sterling was so overcome with despair that he wet his pants.
Joy Dalton staggered to her feet and tried to run, but a henchman shot her in the calf. She pitched forward, her chin slamming hard against the cement pavement.
"No! Don't kill me! Don't!" Joy Dalton shrieked, her voice raw as she dragged her body forward with her elbows.
